Proper circulation is critical to having pristine water in the pool, but that does not mean you need to run the pump 24/7.
The pool water has to go through your pool filter (turnover rate) at least once a day. How long your pump needs to circulate the water to the filter depends on the size of the pool.
First, calculate the pool volume. Divide this by 8, which gives the number of gallons of water you need to pump per hour (GPH). Once that is calculated, get the GPM (gallons per minute) by dividing this by 60.
When shopping for a pool pump, look for one that has the required GPM or more, but never less.
Run the pump for 8 hours, every 24 hours. You can also pause in between; there is no need to run it continuously. Ideally, after you shock the pool, be sure to run the pump at night and during non-peak hours, to save on your energy bills.